3268/Woodvale Trial: Natural Selection

Woodvale Trial: Natural Selection
Date of Scene:	24 October 2015
Location:	Paragon City <CoH>
Synopsis:	The fight to save the Woodsman, who may be the key to stopping the Devouring Earth in Woodvale.
Cast of Characters:	262, Neuroi Girl, Alexis, 560, 769, 821, 872

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Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    M.A.G.I. the organization in Paragon City in charge of investigating and coordinating supernatural and mystical heroes, have identified the source of magic that has been bolstering the Devouring Earth. It is indeed the Woodsman, as Shirou and Maya both surmised. A nature hero who sought aid originally in order to save this zone, and went missing after being rescued from battle against these creatures. It was suspected he is being used somehow. Tortured into releasing his magic. But now the full extent of what has been done to him has been discovered. Because reports are that a creature with antlers is now leading a second invasion force, like the first one that turned Woodvale into what it now is, only now bolstered by a Champion who wields nature powers that the Devouring Earth covet so much.

    But mystically, spiritually, psychically, those who have been analyzing the situation have determined something else. The Woodsman may be the key to the Devouring Earth creating a world where humans have been erased from existence. But he has not yet wholly succumbed to the transformation forced upon him. It's unknown what the FULL extent of the changes wrought are, but his soul, at least... His SPIRIT... It remains strong and it remains on the side of humanity.

    And it is that which might be saved. Either way, the Devouring Earth must be denied their champion. But there is a difference that can be made. To simply kill the monster the Woodsman has become... Or to save his spirit in the process, and regain him as an ally.

    The Devouring Earth scouting parties and assault groups have been driven out by other heroes in the area so far. Pushed back from Arcadia's barricades, almost all the way back to the Hive, through concentrated efforts. But they can't keep it up, and there are countless creatures massing in a wall of stone, crystal, vine, fungus, insects, and other twisted monstrosities.

    The terrain in the western end of Woodvale is so thick with them that a view from the sky looks like a cross-section of the planet itself, with striations of soil, pockets of gemstones, that which grows atop the soil, and the squirming creatures who tunnel through and clamber over both.

    If they get through into Founders' Falls, not only will Woodvale be lost but they could very well overwhelm yet another zone: One with water ways and access to other parts of the city that would be harder to close off. And then it will just be Woodvale all over again, grown over with the will of a corrupted planet, led by a champion who can just keep pushing and spreading like ghastly roots worming into everything.

    Those heroes willing to carry them have been granted special magical instruments come up with on short notice. Ones for shattering the bonds between spirit and body, ones for eradicating life itself... Instruments that probably wouldn't be loaned out under any other circumstances than these.

    Relics of a dead god named Mot.

    If they'll carry these foul things, these artifacts that radiate a sense of eternal sterility, of a will and a power that can make all life, all hope, all future gone forever, and wield them to destroy a different fate, where the whole world and maybe the whole Multiverse is nothing but green, then they may have a chance to deny both of these dark futures.

    No matter what is chosen, the rides of monsters must be stopped, and their champion defeated. It is only the methods that are optional. Because failing here... Is not an option.

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
Hearing the call for additional heroes brought Fiera Kitsun out of the wilderness of the Pokemon Islands to assist. She's been focusing, as you might expect, on training her Pokemon, particularly focusing on a couple of new additions to her team: a Munchlax is something of a handful to train, and she's starting from the beginning with her Fletchling.

She would have turned down the relics after just barely touching one, assuming the choice is in her hands. An explanation of where they're from would NOT convince her otherwise. She has her own relationship with what she considers holy, after all, and she's willing to take her chances against the Devouring Earth with just her sword and her Pokemon.

And she's not squeamish about using those to full effect.

Alexis has posed:
Once more into the breech, as they say.

This time they're dealing with will and spiritual stuff as well as mashing monsters? Fine, fine, we can deal with that. Alexis tries to be adaptable to the situation, even if she doesn't care much for the mystical stuff, you don't date a kitsune without picking up a thing or two in know how.

The relics are creepy, but she's got one shoved in a loop of her belt all the same, though she has no intent of using it unless it becomes ultimately necessary.

More importantly, she's brought some pokemon better suited to some of the matters they might be dealing with. Which would be why there's the pink jellybean shaped Murshana floating over her head, while a Lucario walks alongside her. The former being a psychic, the later having phenominal otherworldly senses with her Aura abilities. There's hope that they will be able to help find the man's spirit still buried within the monster they're about to face.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    How did it COME to this? Shirou finds himself with little choice but to grasp one of the weapons capable of sundering soul and body. He will save everything that can be saved... and if the Woodsman's spirit is all that can be... better than complete loss.

    Though he hasn't bought into the idea that beating him down won't give him a chance to somehow undo whatever has been done to him.

    For now though, he wields Kanshou and Bakuya in both hands, garbed in an unusual set of blue, grey, and white ARTICULATED PLATE MAIL that has not been seen in the city of heroes before. The Smith might have a costume, finally.

    An extremely practical, anachronistic one. Who wears KNIGHTLY PLATE ARMOR downtown anyways?

    luckily for him, reinforced, this stuff - dinged up and battered and munched on though it was recently - is tougher than steel. And he's coupled it with a breathing mask to defend against spores.

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    Honestly, the things that they'd offered the heroes willing to come in and do something about this just rubbed Shadowed Aesthetic the wrong way. The ones that radiated the auras of death and erasure reminded him so much of the feel of the Void within the Maker-- the will to destroy everything and make it no longer be. He's NOT touching those things, or he'd never trust himself to go into back into Autochthonia again, for fear of bringing that taint back to the Maker (who certainly has His own problems).

    He did, however, accept that spiritual enchantment for severing Woodsman's spirit from his body. The severing of the bonds of soul and body is a natural process to the Mirrorblade. That's... well, similar to how the cycle works in Autochthon. He also has Essence to spare towards the use of the enchantment offered by M.A.G.I. Overall that part is much more palatable to him than 'make life into nothing'.

    Unfortunately, Shadowed Aesthetic's request for war Charms installation hasn't been gotten to yet. Too much paperwork with the Multiversal reports. So with the refusal to take any of the life-destroying artifacts, he's going to have to make do with his fans as weapons. His Discreet Essence Armor is already activated, and a translucent blue-white field covers him. War fans are out, open, and held in his hands. He's as ready as he's going to be.

Archer (821) has posed:
     "You realize that saving him is very likely impossible, don't you?"

     He hadn't quite been here for all of this suicidal crusade against the spirit of the World itself for this realm, but Archer had effectively been part of it since the Woodsman had summoned him and his Master to the city weeks ago.

    And now the endgame was in sight.

    Next to the Servant of the Bow, his Master glanced at him in a mix of annoyance and remorse, brow furrowed and arms crossed. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. After all, not everyone here is going to consider destroying him the first option."

    Shifting uncomfortably, Tohsaka Rin eyes the otherworldly relics with marked reluctance - she's wielded artifacts before. Heck she'd used the Gem Sword Zelretch against the Fuyuki Holy Grail, so she'd had experience using tools of this caliber.

    But that didn't mean she was eager to do so. Especially since these tools were hardly anything familiar or even equivocal to anything of human craftsmanship. Tools that, if utilized, could destroy a spirit and render it nonexistent.

     ... tools that, unbeknown to Rin, were eyed by Archer with a tightly-concealed wistfulness.

    For untold ages, Archer had hunted and waited for an event that he'd almost dared not hope would come to pass - the chance to end his past self's life and cause a double-paradox that could erase his existence, ending his cursed bond to Alaya and letting him finally fade away in peace. He could have used it on an Emiya Shirou closer to his past self to thoroughly destroy his spirit so as to increase the chance of a paradox effect.

    Sadly, it was unlikely they would be allowed to retain the artifacts, or that they were even possible to use more then once. And right now, their most pressing concern was ending the threat that was the corrupted Woodsman.

     "We should have taken care of him the moment we knew he was connected to this" Archer muttered. "No - to be honest, the moment we knew this threat stemmed form the nature of this world."

     "He could have helped us because of that same influence" Rin reminder her Servant, tentatively taking up one of the artifacts - a shard of some form of artifact. "He /did/ help us at that." She glances to the others - notably Shirou, giving something of a reassuring smile. "If nothing else, the least we can do is ensure he can keep protecting the people he gave his life for."

     "Oh yes, spending an eternity chained down to a city, cursed to watch it wither and die as the ages pass and possibly even witness it's destruction regardless, should our efforts fail" Archer rebuked cynically, earning a glare from his Master. "What a /wonderful/ reward to have."

     Rin doesn't bother retorting aside from a simple snort, all but flat-out refusing to dignify his response with an answer as they have more important things to do.

     "Trace; On."

     Taking up a firing stance, Archer readies his western-style longbow, a flash of prana in his hands condensing into the form of the Emperor Nero's ornate longsword, readying it to fire as soon as the Devouring Earth get in range. Rin in turn accepts the spells to help her anchor the Woodsman to Woodvale, readying herself for what promises to be a harsh battle.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     With her ability to go without sleep, the Neuroi known as Evangeline has stayed on the frontlines for as long as her core remains energized. All it has taken has been a large supply of materials for her to consume. Not food as others usually understand it, but raw materials from the very creatures she has been helping to destroy. It might be considered grim or even vile, but the crystaline creatures have proven quite useful for recharging herself through consuming them. The process isn't all that disgusting. She just touches them and they evaporate before flowing into her core.

     Now, though, she is preparing to face the coming onslaught. She has taken one of the devices from Mot. She is even willing to use it. But she does not like it. Despite what her kind are doing on her homeworld, she does not wish life to be extinguished in any way.

     But in war, sometimes one must do things to survive. However, she has also taken the soul-saving device. Because if they can save the Woodsman with these relics, she is more than willing to try. She was herself used in such a way, and if she can help it she will not allow the Woodsman to suffer that fate.

     Now, she hovers at the frontline, waiting with the others for the horde that approaches. Energy hums at the tips of her sleeve-like arms as a soft red glow forms there, and her slightly downcast face (even without features) shows she is determined not to let this area fall.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The monstrous legions await, their numbers swelling and swelling. Evangeline's laser fire from the sky has kept them pinned in, as have other heroes thus far, but the attack is coming. Going now, attacking from the ground or the broken rooftops, or from any other perch available, should be the objective. The monsters are only waiting for their champion to give the order. And if control has really been taken from him, the Devoured Woodsman's order is coming sooner rather than later.

    Not matter what the method, whether it be blades, arrows, curses, the myriad skills of pokemon, energy beams, or dread relics, there are only enemies before them. They will not wait forever.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline was waiting only for the other heroes to assemble. Once they have, she turns her head from staring at the horde. "...good luck...let's save the Woodsman if we can..." she says in her soft little voice, then...

     She takes off like a rocket. She brings her arms forward and fires a powerful beam as thick as herself right into the front of the enemy lines before she arcs upward and continues carving a line through them. Wherever her beam hits the land explodes upward powerfully, and creatures caught within the beam may simply disintegreate. She keeps alert for the Woodsman, knowing that he is the key to victory. But, that doesn't stop her from zipping back and forth over the horde like some death fairy, raining down her destructive beams. Destruction is after all an area where Neuroi excel.

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    Shadowed Aesthetic measures the amount of enemies in the area. This isn't what he was made for, these great open swathes of enemies that a great warrior needs to cut through. But he'll fight anyway. He's fast, and those fans are at least good for killing the plant enemies. And he's also able to not breathe in the spores those enemies put out either. Bladed fans, however, don't do so well against stone and crystal.

    So, as Evangeline speaks, Shadowed Aesthetic nods. "You too," he offers. And then he's off. He heads straight for the plant-based foes, seeing them as the bigger threat due to their spores. ALL of these monsters need to die, not just the plant ones. He's just personally better-equipped to deal with the plants.

Archer (821) has posed:
     As the Devouring Earth's numbers became apparent... so too did the time to act. And the ground would not provide an adequate firing position.

     Flooding his legs with prana, Archer leapt up to the nearest rooftop, surveying the oncoming hoards with a grim resolution visible on his expressions.

     They wouldn't be saving the Woodsman. Anchoring his soul to this city, possibly for all eternity, was not Archer's idea of salvation. If anything, the Woodsman should have been allowed to die in peace.

     However... they needed him. If they wanted to get anyone in Woodvale out alive, they needed him to stay. And so another existence known as 'the hero' would be pressed into a fate worse then anything death could bring.

     The inevitable cost of saving others.

     "/I am the bone of my sword./"

     Flame and heat consume the air around Archer as the fire wreaths around the twisted blade being drawn back on his bow, it's form beginning to crackle with the intensity of the blaze being contained within it's frame.

     Soon enough, it breaks, traces of the constrained inferno leaking out from the gaps in it's curving design as the blade becomes a literal bolt of fire-

     "Aestus Estus!"

     -and from there it becomes a streak of brilliant flame akin to a falling star, shooting forward to land deep within the mass of the Devouring Earth.

     From there, it becomes a bursting sun, rippling out and consuming all around it in a blazing sphere of immolating heat and writhing flames.

     He doesn't stop his stride, already tracing more arrows to fire. His next attack will be a volley of arrows, all of which he is currently gathering the prana to form and ready.

     He can't afford to cease his attacks. Not if they want to make any headway.

Alexis has posed:
Time to gear herself up. After a short mental debate, Alexis decides it best to deal with the matter in the most direct manner possible. Which would be why she forgos the usual augmented gear to draw the Warchief's Claymore from her bag, gripping the former demon's sword in both hands. "Potporri, you're on support, but keep mentally scanning for the Woodsman.

The Musharna bobs in response, and blows a plume of ethereal smoke from her forehead. It settles over Alexis' team to shield them from the potential status effects of the Devouring Earth's attacks with Safeguard.

"Sashou, we're gonna have to make our way in. No holding back. If anything weird pings your Aura, say so."

"What am I, chopped liver?" growls the blue and grey wolf-like beast with bull horns as it slinks up next to her. "Didn't think we'd let you run off into danger alone -again- I hope."

"Of course not. Sic em!" With that final command Alexis rushes into the hordes, swinging the claymore in large, broad sweeps to catch as many monsters as she can without worrying too much about precision aim.

"Lucario! (Back to the wretched earth you came from!)" Sashou is right behind her, manifesting a bone-shaped bo-staff composed of aura energy and using it as a weapon in quick, diversive motions. Interspace with the occasional kick, her feet igniting in shearing flames when she does (she was bred to know Blaze Kick).

Stormpaw, on the other hand, lives up to his name, electricity crackling between his horns for a moment, and then with a bark of "LIGHTNING TORPEDO!" sends an explosive ball of lighting hurtling into the hordes.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou is stuck between conserving his minimal supplies of prana and making headway. Which is why he's picked Kanshou and Bakuya. Even if going in for melee is risky, these are the most effective, most efficient projections he has available. The twin blades do consider the devouring Earth as MONSTERS just as much as he does, cleaving through their corrupt bodies with relative ease.

    Slash, slash, slash! Although he grunts as Aestus Estus goes flying past a dozen yards away. "That guy... always showing off."

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
What about fire?

As the monsters of the Devoured Earth charge, Fiera releases her Ninetales from a Pokeball, followed by a Dugtrio. "Foxfire, burn them down; Chika, if you can drop them back into the ground and crush them, go for it. Don't get hurt," she instructs her companions.

"Trio!" (Roger that!) replies the mole-like Dugtrio, and all three of its heads vanish into the ground. Moments later, the Dig technique starts to open holes in the ground under knots of charging monsters who happen to be at ground level. As for the Ninetales, Foxfire bides her time, synchronizing with Fiera without conscious thought; at the moment they determine is 'right,' a massive Flamethrower blast is loosed by the nine-tailed fox Pokemon, to burn the approaching monsters to cinders.

And while her mind is largely bound up with Foxfire's at this point, Fiera still has the presence of mind to loose her Fletchling for good measure. "Honoka, pick off the enemies we're missing with Peck attacks!" Fiera calls out, "Use your Agility to stay safe!"

"Fletchi!" (Right!) the little bird chirps in reply, and starts darting back and forth, avoiding Fiera's allies along with their attacks, and occasionally alighting to peck aggressively at the heads of the undead. At the very least, Honoka can disrupt some charges - but Fiera's very concerned with the little bird's safety. Too concerned, in fact, to stay fully synchronized with Foxfire.

Archer (821) has posed:
     Rin falls into step alongside Shirou - she knows his abilities a bit better then the others, so she is more confident in being able to work alongside him better, falling alongside him quickly. "So Emiya-Kun-"

     That's about as far as she gets before she belatedly realizes, with a downward glance, what he's wearing.

     He hadn't put his helmet on immediately - she'd only focused on his head. But looking down at the rest of his body, Rin was unable to keep from staring in surprise and mild shock at the armor Shirou was wearing, looking as though her brows were about to pop off her head. "Is... is that... what are you wearing? Is that knight armor?" She doesn't seem to know if she should be amused or not.

     Ultimately, she settles on the former, a small grin breaking out across her face as she looks at Shirou's armored form more closely. "Well... I guess it's nice to see you in something that actually looks like it'll protect you. Besides..." she barely manages to stifle a giggle, even though it's hardly the time or place to laugh; "No offense, but a fairy-tale knight kind of suits you, Emiya-Kun."

     As they charge the monsters, Rin refocuses on the battle ahead, her expression becoming more serious. "Es ist gro�. Es ist klein." Prana floods through er limbs, reinforcing her muscles well past what could be considered humanly possible -

     "Vox got Es Atlas!"

     -and with a swift series of steps, she begins literally /smashing/ the Devouring Earth in her immediate area to bits, leaving Shirou to cut down the more pliable ones with his blades while she shatters those made of stone with her strikes. She also has some gems ready to throw in case some of the more troublesome Devoured Earth approach.

     It might be considered shocking for Shioru to see Rin splintering and breaking stone bodies with her /bare hands and feet/, though that's determinant on how far he knows Reinforcement magic can extend for the human body.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The heroes unleash sword strikes, from blades both anti-monster and one previously demonic. Fans wielded like knives dice up foes, bo-staffs clobber enemies, martial arts reinforced by magic and by flames smash and blast all manner of monstrous foes. Streams of flame incinerate, electricity fries and paralyzes, woven-vine heads and mushroom-cap skulls are pecked into, the ground collapses under some foes to drop them into pits. Flames erupt where Archer's attack lands, spreading among those nearby. And of course, Evangeline is flying back and forth, carving through the massed forces with her energy beams and leaving openings for the other heroes, as well as simply reducing the numbers they'll have to deal with. Everyone who attacks may receive some form of reprisal, whether it's thrown boulders, swarms of venomous flying insects, crystal shards, thorns longer than a human is tall, spore bombs, acidic toxin spit, or simply foes trying to run into range to launch such an attack if their targets are too distant.

    Those out of range or too mobile may be spared anything, or may simply have more than enough time to avoid, but those closer in will have more attacks to contend with, and more directions the attacks come from. Even so... The target is now in view, and that means this tactic is working. They've drawn him out already!

    He looks... Awful. A Greater Devoured. Not like the Lesser Devoured, which is already an ugly chimeric monster with human DNA mixed in, the Greater Devoured is larger, and has biological components taken from HEROES. There's probably more than just the Woodsman's most recognizable features inside of this thing. Organs, blood, whatever else.

    But they're there regardless. The gross worm-mouthed, bipedal lamprey-like-thing, has a pair of large, twisted antlers protruding from either side of its head. Like a rack of knives designed to twist their way into the vital organs of others. Like every other work of the Devouring Earth, the Woodsman has become a monster designed specifically to kill human beings.

    And right now, he bellows forth a horrific roar that sounds even over the howls and cries and snarls of the monsters around him, as he raises a hand, and wields his powers against those who have come to rescue him.

    Vines erupt from the ground, trying to snare Shirou, Rin, Shadowed Aesthetic, Alexis, her Lucario, and gradually constrict around them. It seems his mind and body really are outside his control. But there's a feeling in the air of something vibrating around him. An enormous power that is contained within a stolen and twisted form, struggling to get loose.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Boulders, spikes, flying insects. Evangeline has to dodge and weave and spiral her way through the heavy storm of dangerous flying objects. And even despite her maneuvers, she is hit many times. Her blue hexagonal plate shield flares with every hit, and despite the shield pieces of her body are destroyed fairly often, only to regenerate a few moments later.

     When she sees the Woodsman, Evangeline radios to the others, "...target sighted...attempting to clear a path..." Evangeline charges up again, then flies toward the Woodsman and the horde around him. She fires another powerful red beam, carving into the devoured again. But, as she nears the Woodsman, the amount of incoming Anti-Air Attacks starts to overwhelm her shield. Several spikes break through and destroy much of her body. She has to withdraw high above to avoid further attacks while she regenerates. Silver lines, like those a fire makes on paper when burning, move outward from her body. Her lost limbs reform steadily, though it takes a few seconds. Once she is reformed, she dives back in toward the Woodsman, ready to be drawn in with the Woodsman into Archer's world.

Archer (821) has posed:
     It's all too obvious to both Rin and Archer that the Woodsman's spirit doesn't accept what has happened to him. Rin in particular is unable to keep from looking at him sympathetically, reminded of how her own sister had been unwillingly twisted into an abomination of the Third Magic by her world's Holy Grail.

     It was not a fate she would let anyone suffer under. Not if she could help it.

    Seeing the vines approach, Rin grits her teeth and pulls out six gems - rubies and amethysts, three in each hand and held between her fingers like throwing darts.

     "Sechs, in Flu�. Ein Halt. Funf, drew, vier."

     The Tohsaka heiress throws the gems outward, the glimmering objects now radiating with a bright glare -

     "Der Riese und brennt das in Ende!" -

     -and transforming into six magic bullets, each exploding with the force of a hand-grenade to beat back the torrent of vines trying to smother her, Shirou, Lucario, Alexis and Shadowed. As the smoke clears, she glances back to the rest of the group to check if they're alright... then irritably calls on her Servant; "Archer! We're not getting anywhere at this rate - we'll be pinned down before we even get close to the Woodsman! If you have some special arrow that can help out, you'd better not be holding out on us with it!"

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    Shadowed Aesthetic is forced to dodge a lot more than normal. Augmentations to his dexterity are a lifesaver here, literally. Though he does start glowing again as he pushes them more than he has before. He doesn't do the full 'impossible trefoil knot' display, but he's definitely making it difficult to miss him out there.

    Acid eats into his sleeves and the trailing edges of his robes where he's not quite able to get out of the way in time. He will definitely need to replace some clothing when all this is said and done. Here and there the edges of thorns clip him when he's not fast enough to dodge, further ripping his elaborate outfit and scraping the opalescent skin, drawing rivulets and splatters of that odd, luminescent oil that he bleeds in place of human blood.

    He's bleeding. He's injured. And he's getting tired. But he can't stop fighting. He doesn't have time to rest. 'Just keep going,' he tells himself. 'Keep going, don't try to kill all of them. We only have to get to the Woodsman and free him.'

    And soon enough, there he is. Mutated and twisted, corrupted by the Devouring Earth into this... beast. Shadowed Aesthetic imagines it's for the humans here much like him looking upon a Void-tainted Apostate Champion would be for him.

    He doesn't have time to ponder this long, though. Thorny vines erupt from the ground, trying to grab him. Shadowed Aesthetic turns, lashes out, cuts as many of the vines as he can, and tries to advance towards the Woodsman. Though he's moving too quick for the vines to actually grab, he does get scratched. Pieces of his outfit's sleeves and trailng edges, strands of steel hair, and that glowing oil are left behind each time.

    But when he hears Rin's voice on the radio, he just keeps moving forward, towards the corrupted Woodsman.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Rin suddenly cornering him on his choice of attire leaves Shirou a bit speechless. Well, her insane display of martial arts is also pretty good at accomplishing that!

    Wide-eyed, he's distracted for only a second at her mastery of Reinforcement. If he could only do it HALF that well without drawing on the fighting style of Kanshou and Bakuya. HALF.

    Well, he's getting there at least. The armor and his body are both somewhat strengthened and ARE NOT FALLING APART so that's a plus.

    Probably.

    "This suit was from Santa Claus, believe it or not!" He explains defensively, put off by her amusement at it. Man, should he have put this thing away after all? Well, whatever. It's more useful having it at the moment. Even if it restricts his movement slightly, better to take a blow or two and survive than lose an arm.

    Still, the horrific creature the Woodsman's been warped into is enough to get him to pause in his tracks and grimace.

    There's no turning back from THAT. Freeing his spirit, as MAGI suspects, may be all he can do. Amber eyes turn sad... then furious in the same few moments. Furious with the Devouring Earth and whatever force is behind this.

    Despite previous experiences, he's not so sure this is REALLY the will of the planet... not all of it.

    Maybe just ONE ASPECT.

    But the Vines ensnare him in these critical moments, pinning him to the ground. "Gah! Where did these come from?!" He's forced to waste some time and prana sawing at them then leaping back. The situation here looks pretty bad.

    Well if Rin has an idea, he'll try it. "Alright, Tohsaka. Let's save him and stop the Devouring Earth!" With a yell, Shirou HURLS his two weapons at the hordes and projects a fresh set! The thrown weapons spin like boomerangs, carving quite a path...

Alexis has posed:
Attacks are constantly coming back at them, but Alexis grits her teeth and keeps on swinging, doing her best to focus on the matter that needs to be handled at hand by pruning down (literally) their enemies. As per typical Tomboy she's just toughing through it with stubborness and beating down whatever attacks her, though it helps having the Musharna tagging along to keep up defenses like Light Screen and Reflect to cut down the damage she takes.

Stormpaw seems to have the best results right now, as his repitoir of lightning and ice based attacks lets him keep more distance, giving him better oppritunity to evade counterstrikes. Soshou seems to blend between the two, evading the attacks from farther away when her aura senses can warn her, while toughing out other melee attackers with the resistance to a lot of attack types that comes with being part Steel type. Eventually she does change to ranged attacks as well, dismissing the aura staff in order to start flinging disruptive Dark Pulses and super-accurate Aura Spheres into the masses as well.

And then a roar, and vines! Alexis gets snagged, as does Sashou, though the latter after a bit of struggling is able to extend the Metal Claws from one paw and uses them to cut herself free. Potporri levitates up out of reach, and is quick to use a psychic tug to pull Alexis's arm free. Expecting her to chop the rest with the sword, and a bit surprised when instead she flicks out another pokeball now that the corrupted Woodsman is in range. "Time to take the ring, Hurricarana!" Hopefully that was quick enough to get inside whatever isolation the others are planning.

The typical pokeball flash of light is only the start of the entrance, as out of it appears a moderately sized but very stoutly build humanoid avian, the mask-like plumage of his head visible to the others as he stands, one winged arm draped across his chest. "Hawluchaa (Fear not, mi amigos. For now you have the assistance of..)" Dramatic pause as he throws out his arm to make the feathers of his wing flare like they were a cape. "(HURRRICAAAANE KALOOOOS!)"

And then turns to the Woodsman. "(I sense.. the spirit is still burning within you. Muster it, senior. You must hold to what you find dear.. Even as your body we are forced to break!)"

And with that the Hawlucha leaps off the ground, not high enough to pull his signature maneuver, but far and fast enough for the agile avianoid to twist around and aim both his feet at Huntsman's head with the flying dropkick!

With that and all the luchadore posturing, mayhaps he can distract the corrupted man long enough for the others to get into position.

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
Fiera's Pokemon are generally pretty good at dodging. Chika is probably safe from most reprisals but stays on the move anyway, and Honoka's small size and high agility make her really hard to hit - but the Fletchling is still recalled fairly quickly; Fiera doesn't want to see Honoka get hurt when she's still this young. She has to draw her sword in self-defense when some of the monsters come after her, though; smaller attacks can be parried, larger ones can be dodged, and if any of those swarms come after Fiera, Foxfire shifts her attention to burn them out of the air before they can endanger her.

And then the Devoured Woodsman comes into view.

Fiera immediately recalls Chika to her Pokeball; the Dugtrio's attacks won't be as useful against the 'boss monster. That leaves just the Ninetails out by Fiera's side, and with some misgivings, Fiera joins the charge into closer range combat. It's mostly Foxfire who's leading the offense for the pair, though - less fire now, due to the shift into melee, but the Ninetales is still using attacks like Ember and Confuse Ray, the latter to try and throw the Woodsman off-stride while the tiny Embers allow for precision burning.

As for Fiera? She channels a modest amount of fire from her Ninetales into the blade she's drawn, and tries to help cut her allies free from entangling vines without hurting them too badly. She's focusing on defense and support at this stage, still letting her Pokemon lead on offense.

Archer (821) has posed:
     Hearing his Master's requests, Archer sighs to himself, knowing that Rin is correct... and at the same time is off the mark.

     She is right that he really has only on recourse to help even the odds... though it is not exactly an 'arrow' that he is holding back on.

     He'd been dreading this a bit. Reluctant to show her of all people... but he hardly had a choice, now did he? Not if he wanted to ensure her safety while she was in the middle of this storm of enemies.

     Besides... if the Woodsman drew his power from the world, what better way to weaken him then to separate him from it?

     Bounding off his perch, Archer lands upon the ground again, standing ahead of the rest of the group, eyes closed as he takes in a long breath. It would only be the second time he'd used this... but the situation hardly allowed any other options.

     That option... was to turn the world from a land of green into a field of ash.

     "/I am the bone of my sword./"

     The field of swords stirs within his mind.

     "/Steel is my body, and fire is my blood./"

     "/I have created over a thousand blades./"

     Streams of prana now become visible as it pools around the Servant of the Bow, flowing out from around him in a circle like blue flame.

     "/Unknown to death, nor known to life."/

     "/I have withstood pain to create many weapons/"

     /"Yet these hands will never truly hold anything."/ The air heats up as if a massive furnace has been ignited, the lines of the aria seeming to echo and rebound as if, no matter what road they take, they are inexorably affixed to the same origin point. The ground cracks as lines are burnt into it, stemming out from the bowman as his world takes shape.

     /"So as I pray... UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"/

     The next moment, the flames ripple outward, the heat and light burning away the world around them - overlaying it. Overriding it. Projecting a new world upon the landscape around them.

     A landscape that could only be called Hell for the Devouring Earth, as it is the soulscape of a human spirit - the very thing they detest the most... in the form of the very sight they fear above all else.

     Where there was once a land where the green of the world was forcibly reclaiming everything, there is now only a field of ashen hills and ashen planes, the sky choked by clouds of smoke the hot air tinged with the scent of wrought iron. Monolithic gears hang suspended in the sky, dominating even the clouds of smog above them all. And everywhere one looks... all they can see are swords, stretching endlessly out of the ground like steel trees branching up out of the earth, strewn across it like the remains of a massive battle... or cast aside as the products of an endless forge that can never stop - and never will.

     Amid this depressive landscape... the Red Knight stands impassive amid the thousands of weapons, staring down the Woodsman coldly.

    The next instant, many of the blades around the Servant rise up out of the ground, orienting themselves toward those Devouring Earth that had been drawn in with the Woodsman... and with a single motion of Archer's hand, the weapons fly for them without a moment's hesitation.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    Most of those gathered here are engulfed within the Reality Marble, along with a fungal monstrosity or a walking rock pile or two. The Devoured Woodsman is here as well, and he responds to being confronted with so many attackers by raising clawed appendages and screeching! Spores erupt from his mouth. His own flesh extends off his body, twisting and forming into vines that try to strangle his enemies... The drop kick to the head knocks his aim a bit for the fungi pod full of spores, possibly sparing the heroes the worst of its effects... Which mainly seem to be sleep-inducement, which is itself not always effective against Elites.

    The fire bullets from Firefox scorch the monster's flesh, though it seems to be quite durable. They'll likely have to pile on the damage to stop the horror that the hero has become!

    Meanwhile, outside the Reality Marble, Alexis has... Several thousands hostile creatures focused on her, her pokemon, and any other assorted monsters with her like the lightning-breathing one. There's a moment's pause as the Devoured Woodsman and the others gathered vanish.

    Then there's a rain of boulders, crystals, thorns, acid, spores, bugs, thrown trees, and everything else coming Alexis's way.

    Do your best, Alexis!

Alexis has posed:
Yep, this was probably a crazy choice, but Alexis tends to that. At least she's not technically alone since she's still got a few monsters with her. Stormpaw jumps in front of them, and summons a wall of lightning bolts with Tiger Force to form a sort of shield against the worst of the projectiles, while Soshou yanks Alexis down to get below the level of fire. A few odds and bits of debris from shattering against the defensive move still rain down on them, but it's a lot less than getting crushed or speared. Bruises and banging up, we can take.

That's still a lot of enemies, though.

"Well," with a snort Alexis gets back up to her feet again, scowling. "Stay back guys... this is what -this-" she whips out the artifact of Mot she had taken when it was offered, "is for." See, actually accepting the thing was maybe a good idea, if its power is enough to cut a large swath out of their remaining attackers.

Inside the Reality Marble, Hurricarana rebounds off Woodsman's head, landing behind him... And notices the plethora of weapons created by the UBW around them. "(Normally, I am not one for ringside objects. But desperate times!)" The Hawlucha grabs one of the weapons, he doesn't really get picky about which one. Because he's not going to so much use it as a weapon, as use it as ammo for FLING and THROW it at Woodsman!

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    That chant.

    So different from Shirou's own, born of several months of intense study within a painted realm running at a different time frame. So piercing, so empty. The familiar flames of his own soul forge kick up around him. And with every line of the chant...

    His consciousness wavers and flickers, soul THROBBING in agony. Not just his body, but perhaps his very soul. Something flows into him that he's not ready for.... but has to accept anyways.

    Wracked with misery, Shirou drops to his knees, gasping for breath as the world turns into a barren, ashen wasteland.

    This is NOT his world. It's close, but... NO.

    With an angry, defiant yell the young man heaves his armored form upright again, furious gaze aimed at the Woodsman's twisted form.

    He takes a step forward, into a combat stance... and HURLS Kanshou and Bakuya at the twisted monster. Then he rips another sword from the ground nearby in what looks like an angry fit, gripping it in both hands.

    It might be noted, later, that the rusty blade, possibly covered in dried blood, shines with a new polish in his hands that wasn't there before, or that an area perhaps five meters in radius around him's subtly DIFFERENT from the rest of the landscape. It's cleaner, there's far less ash and the heavy smoke's cleared up considerably. It's a forge world in much better state of upkeep.

    Shirou projects his own bow, a proper japanese one based on the same material as Archer's, and draws the weapon back. At this short range, a lot of skill isn't necessary. He just fires the sword wildly while trying to think of a good strategy!

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    By contrast, Shadowed Aesthetic might actually find some comfort inside of Archer's Reality Marble. Gears, metal, steam, no plants, no life-- that's very much like the inside of Autochthon. Though the fact that it looks like a battle was just fought here is a little unnerving. There are swords everywhere! He doesn't pick up any of them, though. There aren't any fans around here, and he needs both his hands for the ones he has.

    Sleep spores, huh? Well, he can deal with that. Moving forward quickly, Shadowed Aesthetic dodges under the vines and just spins around quickly near the largest collection of spores. his arms are out, and it looks like a graceful pirouette! But there's a purpose-- to clear away those spores. Plus, if Woodsman or his vines get to close, they're going to be treated to a similar sensation as a tree that has a buzzsaw taken to it feels!

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
There's one main reason why Fiera had Foxfire focusing on small precision moves: namely, so many of her allies were caught up in close combat with the Devouring Woodsman. That's not really good for throwing high-damage moves around at a shared target, particularly when power tends to come at the expense of precision. Or to put it more succinctly, 'big hits are big'.

On the other hand, as Fiera sees what her allies are doing (and does her best to keep blocking or dodging what gets thrown her way - not always successfully; she's looking somewhat battered already), she realizes that there's another option. "Foxfire!" she calls out, starting to approach the Woodsman, seemingly trying to match Shadowed Aesthetic's movements from the other side. A golden glow forms around Foxfire, and around Fiera as well, before the aura shifts to red and both Pokemon's and Trainer's eyes glow brightly ...

And Fiera swings her sword at the Woodsman, fire wreathing the blade and erupting into a tornado of flames aimed to surround and trap the Devouring Woodsman.

Alexis would recognize it readily if she saw it: the Fire Spin attack. The Woodsman should be trapped within it - technically still capable of attacking, but the fiery vortex might put a crimp in his ability to dish out the hurt. Similarly and more importantly, this move allows Fiera's allies to KEEP attacking through the flames - although ranged techniques will probably be more dependable for the purpose than melee or martial arts.

Unless, of course, you don't MIND getting burned ...

Archer (821) has posed:
     Perhaps to Shirou's satisfaction, Rin's amusement breaks as she stares at him as though he were crazy. "S... Santa Cla..." she blinks several times, brow raised and mouth hanging open as if about to ask a question she doesn't want to ask, making it rather apparent that she finds the claim outlandish even by multiversal standards. "I really can't tell if you're being serious or not. If that was a joke, it's probably the worst joke I've ever heard in my life."

     Emiya Shirou has won at least one great victory today, for he has actually rendered Tohsaka Rin incapable of a snide remark.

     When Archer's Reality Marble forms around them, Rin's breath hitches in her throat, her whole body freezing up with shock and amazement.

     She had seen hints of what a Reality Marble could do. Shirou - her world's Shirou - had the potential to create one... but she had never seen him complete it. He'd yet to have the prana needed to catalyze such a process.

     Seeing it to this degree... a /complete/ Reality Marble... and the ages worth of pain and bloodshed engraved on it.

     A sight that breeds a feeling of deep sympathy and pity at it's user. At /both/ of them.

     One of which was now on his knees. "Emiya-Kun! Are you-"

     It was unneeded. She needn't have bothered - of course he would get back up. Of course he would charge on forward, forging ahead no matter what.

     It was one of the things she'd always admired about him.

     And she can't help but notice that the land seems to be better in his care - almost like a flicker of hope amid a landscape that had long since forgotten the very notion of what that word even meant.

     ...

     Well, damned if she was going to fall behind him - especially a version of him younger then herself at this point!

     Taking out two gems, Rin throws them ahead-

     "Sechs, in Flu� Ein Halt"

     -and they detonate in a blinding flash of light that tears into any Devouring Earth that came with the Woodsman, which should at least allow the others to close the gap.

     She can't afford to use much of her more powerful attacks - not while her prana is being eaten up to sustain Archer's Reality Marble. Besides, whatever she has left will need to go towards anchoring the Woodsman to Woodvale, one hand now clutching the relic that was meant to accomplish that objective as she waits for her opportunity.

Archer (821) has posed:
     As the Devouring Earth are cut into, Archer himself moves into action, suddenly taking off and sprinting towards the twisted form of the Woodsman, Kanshou and Bakyua forming in his hands - and a storm of blades following in his wake, eventually shooting ahead of him to cut through any defenses thrown ahead of him, or at the very least clear the path enough for him and anyone else to get through.

     As he does though, he winces slightly as he feels an invasion of his reality - but not from the Devouring Earth. It's far more compatible to him personally.

     And far more personal a link.

     Damn that boy - even now he was biting into Archer's concentration as experience from the Servant flowed into Emiya Shirou, the boy's own reality partly manifesting. To add to that, he was acting rather recklessly - an action fueled by his inability to accept Archer's world for what it was; the roadmap of his own fate.

     As if he had any choice in the matter if he persisted down his current path.

     As the blades that followed Archer fly for the Woodsman, the Servant of the Bow takes the chance to slash at the corrupted hero with his blades, working to deliver a quick flurry of slashes to the creature's limbs in order to weaken him before attempting to cut into his head.

     Whether or not he succeeds though depends on if he can strike quick enough to break through the Woodsman's guard, and if not then the most he can do is try to maim him enough to make bringing him down that much easier.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline comes to a sudden stop as the area around them changes. Or, seemingly is scorched to a cinder. There are several devoured creatures still around, so she starts with cleaning those up. Can't have them attacking while they try to sever the Woodsman's soul from his corrupted body! Smaller beams of red lance into the earthen creatures inside of the Reality Marble. They still explode on impact, but they are much more precise than the massive beam from before. Like sniper shots, these beams punch holes in the creatures while the others focus on the Woodsman.

     Once they are clear, she turns her attention to the Woodsman. Similar sniper shots of sinister red lasers begin firing at him from the wing-like panels on her legs. She doesn't want to kill him, just weaken him enough that they can use the severing spell.

     Evangeline has never been one for swords or bows or the like, so the plethora of magical and legendary blades around her and her allies is ignored by the little Neuroi.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The bombardment of attacks, the focused fire and strikes of over half a dozen Elites, has a visible effect. Though monstrous vines continue to spawn from the Devoured Woodsman with all the beating he's taking, even though he attempts to tear up the ground and hurl it in the form of boulders, even though he is apparently able to spawn new Devouring Earth from his own body in the form of twisted wooden constructs as-yet-unseen, each bearing antlers like his own, the combined efforts of everyone eventually make their effects known as the monster collapses, gurgles several times, and then begins to die. The power of the Woodsman is beginning to die with it, the soul within the monster starting to lose its grip on this plane of existence.

    Now is the time for everyone to reach out with their words and selves, for anyone who wishes to save him to pull him free and put him back in command of his own power. The Devouring Earth will have lost their champion either way, but it's possible for the world itself to gain one. A champion who isn't interested in wiping out everyone just to preserve nature, but to recognize that nature contains all things, even those that are destructive, and that this is not a reason to decide that no further growth can occur.

    Nature is not an executioner.

    And the Devouring Earth, whatever they TRULY are, go against nature in their attempts to restore it, because they do not accept this.

    Humans may be able to clean up their own mistakes. They might find a way to defeat the Devouring Earth. Or maybe they will be wiped out. Nature might not care either way, as long as it continues to exist in some form.

    But all those people who the mysterious so-called 'Will of the Earth' does not wish to afford the choice to need someone to give them a chance.

    It might be these assembled heroes.

    Or it might be what is slowly fading away within a burnt, smashed, slashed, impaled, and bludgeoned monster, weakened by gem detonations, and right on death's door.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    Meanwhile, outside, the effects of Mot's relics are horrifying, though effective. Creatures of crystal go gray and still as statues, looking more like figures of granite than gem stones. Mighty rock beasts fall apart right where they stand, whatever holds them together just giving up and bleeding out into nothingness. The plants wither into husks within moments, flopping to the ground in dry bundles, like fallen scarecrows. The spores and fungal juices within the mushroom monsters force their way out of their stems and limbs, and then dissolve before they hit the ground, leaving them just as dry as the vines. Many simply crumble into dust on the spot.

    All around, everywhere the relic unleashes its power, life is blasted away, erased, and the world is turned into a sterile, empty, horrorscape. Beings dead where they stand or have fallen. No, not even just dead, but lifeless. Like they couldn't even find it within themselves to die properly, and simply became inanimate objects without a sign of ever having lived.

    A dust of something hungry and empty spreads, whirling around Alexis, consuming and yet leaving it all behind as a shadow of what it once was. As she wields this power, the Lesser Devoured as well shrivel up and fall, squirming and writhing in pain for a time before they cease to breathe.

    And Alexis may hear something in the growing silence, as roars go mute, and the stomping feet of giants turn to the collapse of said giants... And then nothing. In that silence, is a whisper.

    Outside of the Reality Marble, when the fighting was still raging on, it may have been difficult to remain unaffected by the display of the enemy's might. How could anyone not feel a sense of awe at the majesty present in the towering spires of rock, the primeval forest one can practically watch growing before one's very eyes? How anyone could not feel insignificant before it is a mystery. But then it was probably realized that this is merely another seduction perpetrated by the mysterious 'Hamidon', to weaken resolve and steal from its enemies the urge to resist the Devouring Earth and the danger they represent.

    When faced with this sterile world of emptiness that continues to grow, eternal death and eternal silence, fed by the life it extinguishes, there is likely only horror. Horror at being in a world of gray light and withered forms, watched over by a flickering black shape.

    A shape that now seems to be whispering constantly. And can almost be understood.

    Alexis probably does not want to understand.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     As the Corrupted Woodsman starts to struggle for life, Evangeline moves in. She lands near him (or as close as she ever gets to landing, at least), then leans forward over him. "...we will free you now...no one deserves being captured and forced to do something bad..." she says, then she reaches a sleeve-like arm out. Fingers extend from it, and she places her hand on the Woodsman's chest. "...I do not know if this will hurt or not, but...it is for your own good...they gave us magic to save you..."

     Evangeline then looks around at the others before holding a hand out toward them. "...help me free him...he does not want this...we cannot let the evil earth spirits claim him..." she says in her soft, near monotone voice. Despite how soft it is, she is obviously pleading. She was once captured in a similar way and forced to do things. She knows how torturous it can be.

Alexis has posed:
"... Well, shit..." Is what Alexis has to say in the wake of the artifact's power. Now she's really glad they didn't try to use it on weakening the Woodsman, because there is no 'weak' setting on the thing. But yet, that destructive power has been put to what many will consider a good use. The results were... well there was the hope that once this madness was dealt with, the portion of the city could be rebuilt. There's that.

Alexis grunts as Stormpaw nudges her side. "Right.. right... don't wanna get caught up in the nonsense those whispers are spewing." She grabs the wolf-monster's thick fur and straddles over his backside, riding him as much one would a motorcycle. As soon as the woodsman is dealt with, they're geting the NOPE out of here before that manic whisper gets any stronger.

Speaking of which, once the Woodsman is down Hurricarana stays out of the way. The humans and that specialty they were given is better suited for what needs to be done here. About all he can do now is encourage. "(Fight, senior, fight their control! Let your spirit free so they can no longer misuse your body!)"

Archer (821) has posed:
     It's finally over. After enduring a storm of attacks, the Woodsman finally topples to the ground. This is the time to act.

     Tossing the last four gems in her stock, Rin mutters the words of incantation-

     "Das Schlie�en. Vogelk�fig, Echo!"

     -and a boundary field materializes around both Evangeline and the Woodsman's body, the magus using the barrier in conjunction with the spells she was given to try and help bind the Woodsman's spirit down.

    The Magus grunts as she strains to try and maintain the bounded field, glancing at the others - "When the Reality Marble gives out - and it most definitely will now that I can't keep Archer supplied with much prana right now - you've got to help me anchor him down! But first we have to stabilize him!"

     In quick response to Rin's proclamation, Archer seems to let out a breath as the fight has ended, focusing on keeping the Blade Works active so that no new Devouring Earth can claim the Woodsman for now.

     All anyone has to do to interact with Rin and the Woodsman through her is to place a hand on her shoulder, as she whispers the words to begin a a joining of minds.

     "Gib dem wanderanden Vogel das Trinkwasser der vom langen Weg kommt. Benutz den. Vogelrahmen in dem der. Schl�ssel nicht angewendet wird. Ich spinne den Regenbogen in neuem selbst."

     Archer in the meantime tilts his head toward the group in what seems more like inquisitiveness. "Do you think he will stay? Not many are willing to make such a sacrifice of self... and most that do often end up regretting it."

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
This is why Fiera let the spell be cast on her, after all.

The Fire Spin is dispelled as the Woodsman starts to succumb to everyone's attacks; Fiera wastes little time in stepping forward, beginning to recite an incantation - one of the first prayers for purification that she learned. The incantation itself isn't so important this time; it's meant as the 'conduit' for the magic she's helping carry, the spell which can free the Woodsman's spirit from this corruption and re-anchor it to the land. It probably helps that she's not the only one trying to put that magic to use, either - she'd actually reach out to join hands with Evangeline, if the Neuroi girl lets her do so.

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    The Devoured Woodsman is weak now; now is the time to strike. Shadowed Aesthetic leaps back, putting just enough distance between himself and the Woodsman. He puts one fan away, and then locates and accesses that enchantment that was placed just for this purpose. Essence is fed into the enchantment, letting it use his own energy to do its work. His energy is, after all, the same as the energy that occurs naturally in Creation. That may be one of the few things that Autochthonia and Creation have in common, in fact. And Creation, for all its differences, does have a rather Earth-like bent to it.

    As he feeds Essence into the enchantment, burning the energy only increases the glow. Moonsilver white and silvery blue shines brightly, beginning to swirl around him in the iconic display that she's shown before.

    He's giving his all for this. It's just as much to save Nature as to save the Woodsman. To someone from Autochthon, seeing Nature grow so angry and desperate, disappointed him. He knows that beautiful things can be deadly. But the Devouring Earth has taken this to a whole new extreme. Would Creation ever willingly seek the death of all those who live within it? He's not sure. But this... the Devouring Earth... it all just seems wrong.

    Lines of blue-white energy travel down Shadowed Aesthetic's arm as he aims an open palm at the Woodsman. He waits until the enchantment is charged to its fullest... and then releases the enchantment, aiming whatever discharge of power results from the enchantment at the Devoured hero. Do wishes and prayers help too? They're there too, whether they help or not.

    And whatever he has to do to make certain that the field doesn't block him-- take hold of someone's hand, step inside the field itself, dance a jig, to the hokey-pokey, whatever-- he will do before activating the enchantment.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline takes Fiera's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, then looks back toward the Woodsman and concentrates. She doesn't really know how to use magic, so she just thinks about using the spell. She thinks about how the spell should bind the Woodsman's spirit to this area. And as she thinks, she talks.

     "...Mr. Woodsman...the people of this area need your help...this Devouring Earth will stop at nothing to destroy them...and may spread to other areas...we need your strength to help protect them...to keep the Devouring Earth at bay...we will not leave you alone to do it, though...we will help all we can..." she says. She looks around at the others, then back down at the dying creature. "...we can free you from this terrible prison...and link you to this area...all you have to do is say yes..."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    It's finally time. Shirou steps forward, hand outstretched just like Shadowed Aesthetic. The enchantment is finally coming forth!

    "Stay with us, Woodsman! You might be the only one who can really understand this monsters. Paragon City is counting on you. You have to be stronger than this abomination they've done to you... isn't that what a hero does?!"

    Deep in his heart, he fears that saving his soul is all they'll be able to do. The body is certainly forfeit. Is this... really a good idea? Well, he can refuse if he wants to... right?

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    After awhile of the words and thoughts of others being focused upon him... The spirit and power pulsing from within the dying body stop fading, and instead regain their strength. Infact, they become even stronger. When the monstrous form finally expires, a glowing man pulls himself free of it, passing right through like he's insubstantial. But the imprint he leaves with his footsteps when he steps forward seems quite real. Despite the glow surrounding him, he is quite solid. Furry mantle, patched leather pants, wrapped arms, and antlered helmet... Everything is as it was when he was alive.

    But he is ever so slightly transparent, and glows with a ghostly presence. He clenches his fists as he looks down upon the cursed monster he was trapped within, looks to everyone who supported him and saved him, and then says very simply, "Thank you. I am ready."

    Now is the moment to return them all to the 'real' world.

    Alexis has cleared a wide area around where her allies disappeared, turned the ground to gray, lifeless, dust and ashes. Maybe she has turned it off now, and that flickering shadow of a giant beyond reckoning, seeming to constantly spasm and shift like a stop-motion nightmare, has ceased to be part of her awarenes... Ceased to whisper to her in the silence... But now the roars of monsters are loud again, as they rush to close in and tear her and her companions apart. They can likely escape still. Their speed is far greater than the tides of monsters.

    But if the monsters engulf the area her allies vanished... Then what happens when they reappear? Moments are left before the broad expanse of lifeless terrain the relic created is once more covered in monsters, even if some of them are still being afflicted with the crumbling waste at the edges as they race forth...!

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    Then the Reality Marble collapses, and everyone is returned to THIS reality. And standing with them is something that does not look like the Woodsman. An enormous, white tree. Or perhaps a giant elk of some kind. It's gigantic, prongs like antlers and branches all in one, spreading and growing out to encompass the sky. Roots sunk deep, visible through the ground like an x-ray as their blazing white light penetrates into the Earth that has been so twisted by the Devourers.

    And this tree that does not intrude upon the personal space of any of the heroes, and yet is larger than this entire city... Suddenly begins to zoom around the battlefield, moving while staying still. A white blur that races to collide with and engulf the enemies, not as though it is changing locations but as though it is growing to encompass a new space with every attack.

    Creatures of earth, of vine, of spore, of gem, of carapace, of things taken apart and made whole again, all the Devouring Earth that would threaten the world with their vision of the destruction of what they do not approve of... They are grown through, run over, smashed aside, thrown for miles to slam into the War Walls, without their attacker actually straying from the place where he stands.

    It's a tree. It's a stag. It's, at least for this moment, also the World.

    And it's also the Woodsman.

    He hasn't just become a ghost. He has become a force of nature himself. One that will protect this place now, and guide others in the future. Because they did not write him off or decide his destiny for him. They gave him the choice, convinced him this was right, and he chose Woodvale over an afterlife. To be part of this world and to protect it, for as long as it needs him.

    When the massed army, strengthened and rapidly grown with the power that was stolen from him, has been completely destroyed, the stag-tree is once again just The Woodsman.

    He turns around and smiles at those who have just watched this display. At Rin, Shirou, Hawlucha, Evangeline, Fiera, Shadowed Aesthetic, Alexis... And at Archer. He has undone the wrongness accomplished with his powers. But he doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

    "But..." he says. "There is still so much more for us to do." In a rush of wind and leaves, and a scent like after a new-fallen rain, the Woodsman vanishes. This is not the last they will see of him.

    On the breeze, a whisper.

    "Stay determined."

Alexis has posed:
They could still run... but why would they? It wouldn't be like Alexis to just ditch on the allies still on the other side of the reality shift, not to mention one of her own pokemon. The monsters are coming again, but they're ready for them.

But it's not necessary as they are timely interveined by... a tree? A giant spiritual tree that moves without moving, yet attacks the inbound force with all the ferocity of a Sawsbuck protecting it's territory from predators.

This is pretty strange even by her standards. And at the same time, pretty epic, too.

"I'm going to take it things were a success in there."

"Haw. (Yes.)" Hurricarana saunters over and hops on the back of Stormpaw with her. "(The body was weak, but like a true hero the spirit was stronger than any vessel could contain. A great man has passed, but an even greater Guardian rose from the splinters!)"

"Good. Good." Alexis gave Stormpaw's mane a tug, and the Tiger started to run back towards the safe zone.

"Even with his help, we're going to have one hell of a fight ahead of us."

Archer (821) has posed:
     Archer, for the most part, simply crossing his arms as Unlimited Blade Works fades away around them. He lets out a long sigh, closing his eyes as he speaks almost to himself.

     "You've chosen quite the long, lonely path... and in the end, you had no reward waiting for you at the end. You fought... you died... and in the end, not one person thanked you. Not one person praised you. And you were left locked in a fate far worse then anything death could have dealt you." The bowman shakes his head, seeming unsurpassed by that outcome.

     Yet he is forced to acknowledge something else; "But in spite of all that... you still refuse to give up, don't you? Your spirit, as diseased as your mind and body have become, will not simply let you just fade into oblivion, will it?"

     At this, the Servant of the Bow gives what seems to be an amazed sigh, though his face is still impassive, answering both Emiya Shirou's question as well as continuing to speak the Woodsman "Yes... this is what it means to be a hero. A thankless task, filled with endless burdens and never once receiving any gratitude. A long road that will never bring you any reward nor lasting peace. Only a precious few ever make that choice with the full knowledge of what it brings... and far fewer live long enough to regret it."

     He looks at the white tree with some degree of pity... and at the same time, marked respect is visible at the edges of his eyes. "He has taken on the task of making himself - a human - the will of the World itself. For his sake, I hope it's not long. he has not chosen to be saved - that would have been letting himself leave the world behind... and yet, it is impossible to deny that, in regards to saving everyone, he has made the correct choice. And in doing so... perhaps this world isn't lost to humankind after all."

     It's perhaps the most acknowledgment someone as cynical as Archer will give, and even with his fatalistic nature he cannot deny that they've done the impossible. That alone says something.

     Rin in turn seems more relieved as the hellish landscape that was revealed upon the end of Unlimited Blade Works is healed, unable to keep from smiling as she looks back at the others. "You know... I think we might actually have some chance of winning this, now." She then gives a breathless laugh - "I mean... it's not like we won't have done crazier things by then."

Fiera Kitsun (262) has posed:
Fiera has the presence of mind to bow politely to the freed spirit of the Woodsman as he vanishes. She and Foxfire then turn and walk away, with the red-haired Pokemon trainer leaning over a little to pet the Ninetales' head and neck a few times.

She *would* kneel or crouch to lavish more affection and appreciation on Foxfire, but she might have trouble standing up again or walking, and even with a new guardian on the job, she doesn't think the forest is a good place for a refreshing snooze ...

Neuroi Girl has posed:
     Evangeline floats back a bit as the Woodsman appears from the fallen corrupted form. She gazes at him, unmoving. Possibly awed, possibly just unsure what to do. It is so hard to tell with someone who has no face. She watches motionlessly as the area is cleansed by him and his power. She raises her head to gaze at the giant stag tree. And all the while, she was still holding Fiera's hand. Firmly, but not painfully. Like a child who is a little scared yet awed.

     So, when Fiera walks away, Evangeline is pulled along with her. She is still pretty much motionless, but does finally turn her head to look at Fiera once the Woodsman has disappeared. She finally lets Fiera's hand go, then looks at Archer. "...so...change his fate..." she says, then floats toward him. "...thank him..." She then floats over to where the Woodsman disappeared and looks up at the sky. "...thank you...Mr. Woodsman..." she says. She stays there, just looking over the now corruption free landscape.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The hellscape collapses and with it so does some of Shirou's summoned-up strength. He wobbles forward a few steps but grits his teeth and sucks in a breath. A breath that's HELD as the Woodsman-spirit utterly THRASHES what's left of the Devouring Earth... wow.

    If only they'd had this guys help proper from the start of this mess.

    He actually smiles. For the first time in quite a while he has received something he did not really expect to get from this jaunt. Or any jaunt, really.

    Affirmation that this is, indeed, a path he can stand up for and accomplish.

    Although Archer does a wonderful job of destroying his smile and replacing it with a twitchy, flinched expression. Shirou whirls around. "What's your problem, Archer? ... if he's happy with the role... isn't that enough of a reward? Lots of the Heroes around here don't seem to be in it for fame or gratitude." He is simultaneously bothered by Archer's flippant, cynical attitude and, a tad, actually curious.

    "Everyone should get some little reward for working hard, I think. That doesn't have to be appearing on TV or anything though... I'm happy sending whatever rewards there are on to Dun Realtai..." He's not sure why he started rambling, but he ends up sort of staring at Archer, the anger... evaporating in favor of something far emptier.

    Empty confusion.

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    The Woodsman overcomes his corruption to free his spirit from his body. Of this Shadowed Aesthetic is certain. He has never seen it before, but he can instinctively tell this. And he is relieved to see that it. The Reality Marble collapses and then...

    Actually, Shadowed Aesthetic isn't sure what happens after that. There's a huge tree, or maybe a large woodland animal of some sort, it's bigger than everything but doesn't push him out of its way, it accepts his presence, and it's fighting and destroying the monsters and and and...

    It's confusing for someone who's never really been exposed to a spirit of 'nature' as an Earth-like world would define it. What IS clear is that the Woodsman is free. And then they're suddenly no longer under attack. The spirit of the Woodsman speaks, and Shadowed Aesthetic smiles pleasantly. "It's good to finally meet you," he says. It's a pity the Alchemical and the nature hero couldn't have met under better circumstances. There was so much that Shadowed Aesthetic could have learned.

    But now there's other things to do, as he points out. Evangeline's thanks gets a nod from the Alchemical, and he follows suit, echoing, "Yes. Thank you, Woodsman, for all you've done." They'll probably need his help again in the future, in fact. Hopefully they can count on it.